


Starfall

by eerian_sadow



Series: Badlands [5]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 13:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11624400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: The world has ended, Starscream is dying and there is a Prime in Yuss with energon. Somehow, the Seeker has to hold on long enough to get them there.





	Starfall

**Author's Note:**

> WELL.
> 
> It's time to fill some of those plot holes I've left laying around. But only some. ;)

1\. Starscream surveyed the ruins of Kaon with dismay. He had known the Senate would take revenge for Praxus, but he had thought they were smart enough not to poison their own people do it.

"Skywarp! Round up anyone who's left and get them into whatever functional transports we have left. The fallout from this mess is going to kill everyone."

"Yeah but Star, where we gonna go?"

"Polyhex, for now. That will give us time to regroup. We'll figure out the rest later."

 

2\. "There's not enough energon here for everyone."

Starscream nodded at Thundercracker's words. "I know. But there's not enough uncontaminated energon nearby to send a raiding party for either."

"Then what do we do?"

"We either die of starvation or from energon poisoning."

"I don't believe that and neither do you. What are we really going to do?"

"I am going to negotiate passage across the Senate's lands and away from this radiation poisoned wasteland. We'll find better fuel sources once we're outside the fallout zone. I refuse to die here."

"What about the civilians left inside?"

"The Senate chose to kill their own people. Let them figure it out."

 

3\. "You Decepticons," Ratbat's sneer might have impressed Starscream if the senator hadn't been so weakened by poison that he couldn't stand, "Are all such fools. You speak loudly, but when it comes time for action, you take the easiest path."

"I think Praxus would speak otherwise," The Seeker replied. "If we had left it standing."

The senator's optics narrowed and he gestured to one of his guards. "Kill him, and leave his body at the foot of the stairs as an example to the rest of them."

"Megatron was right about you." Starscream pulled himself out of his captor's grasp and stood up straight. He would face his death head-on, if that was what was coming. "You only know how to bully and cause pain."

"Kill him!" Ratbat's voice cracked as he shrieked.

The guard raised his rifle and fired. The Decepticon leader couldn't suppress a scream as his face began melting.

"No! Kill them both!" The dying senator's second order dragged Starscream's attention from his impending demise. Both of them?

There was a flurry of laserfire and the sound of bodies falling to the ground. "Hang on, Star. I got you!"

He had only a moment to feel relief at Skywarp's voice before they teleported away.

 

4\. "Ratbat's allies are claiming he killed Starscream before the explosion." Thundercracker stared through the glass into his leader's isolation room--sealed against contaminants and anyone who was not the other Seeker's medic--and laughed bitterly. "Maybe they're right and we just don't know it yet."

Knockout punched the blue mech in the arm, hard enough to dent plating. "Don't be an idiot. Starscream won't die unless it's on his own terms."

 

5\. "Has anybody heard from Soundwave?" Skywarp asked, crawling into the berth next to Thundercracker.

"No. Knockout thinks we need to consider him a fatality and move on." The blue Seeker draped an arm across his optics. "Star wants us to do another pass over Kaon and see what we can find."

"What if he's not in Kaon anymore?" The black and purple mech asked.

"We don't have the resources to keep looking. I know we'd all feel better with him here, but I think maybe Knockout's right."

"Yeah." Skywarp sighed and kicked one foot against the berth. "This sucks slag."

"That's putting it mildly." Thundercracker replied. 

 

6\. "You have to get them out of here." Starsceam's voice hissed weakly through the isolation chamber's speaker.

"They won't follow me," Thundercracker replied. "You and Megatron were the leaders; I'm nobody."

"You are my Wing Second," the Decepticon leader replied. "And they will listen to you if they want to survive."

The blue Seeker sighed and nodded slowly. "I'll do my best, but I don't think they'll listen."

"We're all dying here," Starscream reminded him. "They'll follow you."

 

7\. Starscream peered through his remaining optic at Breakdown as the Stunticon cowered outside his isolation unit. "Say that again."

Breakdown ducked his head away as he said, as quickly as he could without being unintelligible, "They say there's a Prime in Yuss and that he has energon."

"Who says?" 

"S-some of the drifters. The ones passing through from Perihex. Pleasestopstaringatme!"

"Calm yourself, Breakdown." The half of Starscream's face that still worked properly turned down in a frown as he glanced toward his Wing Second. "Can we trust these mechs from Perihex? "

"Maybe not, but anywhere's better than here, Star. Knockout's reports this cycle weren't good."

The Decepticon leader's frown deepened slightly. "Fine. Give the orders and get everyone who's still here on the move."

 

8\. "You should have left me behind," Starscream said softly, unwilling to allow their bodyguard to overhear them. "We all know I'm just dead weight."

"You're not, Star," Skywarp protested. "You're important! You're _trine_!"

"And they're only following me because you're still here," Thundercracker added.

"Hmph. Our people would be idiots not to follow you. Just make them think you have a plan." The red and blue Seeker's vents stuttered as his cooling system failed briefly. "Promise me that you won't allow me to be a burden. I won't live long enough to enjoy Yuss, and we all know it."

Skywarp made a noise of protest, but Thundercracker nodded in understanding. "I won't. You won't be a burden on the Decepticon army."

"Good. And don't let Knockout try to replace any parts. Keep them for the his who can be saved."

"Stop talking like this!" Skywarp tossed his empty ration cube to the floor. "You're gonna get to Yuss and then everything will be better."

"For all of you, yes." The trine leader let out a shuddering sigh. "You have to face reality, Warp. I am dying by millimeters."

"You're not! We can save you!" Thundercracker felt his spark break at Skywarp's declaration.

Starscream smiled bitterly. "Say that again, when we have parts and tools."

The black and purple Seeker snarled and climbed to his feet. "Frag you, Star! I didn't have my wings blown off saving you just so you could lay here and die!"

They watched as Skywarp stomped away. Once he was outside their flimsy shelter, Thundercracker turned back to Starscream with a frown.

"Stop arguing with him. He won't come with us if I leave you behind. And..." He cycled his cooling system, not sure how to get his point across to his partner and leader. "And I can't lose both of you."

"I... I hadn't considered that." The Decepticon leader fell silent for long moments. "If I'm going with you the entire way, you had better prop me up so I can see. I'm not traveling to Yuss flat on my back."

"I think we can do that," the blue Seeker agreed.

 

9\. "You're asking me to do something impossible," Knockout said darkly. 

"I know," Thundercracker agreed. "Warp and I will donate the parts we can, though. We just need him to make it to Yuss. He's given up on anything but making sure we get to Yuss."

"He's going to be in constant pain. He's going to keep losing functionality unless we find a fully stocked repair bay. You want me to prolong that?"

"No. I want you to keep him alive for as long as he's willing to stay with us. I know you're not Primus." The Decepticon second sighed. "Don't do anything heroic if he's guttering out, and don't waste anything that Skywarp or I don't donate on him. Just keep him going."

"And what will you do if he dies during a march?" The medic's tone stayed cold.

"Mourn, and move on. He's a symbol, Knockout. The others still need him."

The burgundy mech stared silently at the Seeker. They both knew that the other Decepticons were not the real reason Thundercracker was making his request.

 

10\. After ten days on the road, a band of raiders dropped down on the remains of the Decepticon army like a family of gyro falcons. The desolate city they were passing through provided a perfect cover, and twelve Decepticons were deactivated before they recovered enough to fight them off.

Starscream surveyed the dead with a scowl. “Appoint new scouts. This will _not_ happen again.”

“It shouldn't have happened today,” Thundercracker agreed. “I'll send Breakdown and Dead End out to see if they can find Barricade. Let's rest here tonight, to let everyone mourn.”

“We should get away from these buildings first. Safety, then rest.”

“You're right. Someplace easier to defend if another group attacks.” The blue Seeker nodded. “I'll issue the orders. You should get whatever rest you can til then.”

**Author's Note:**

> PT 2 coming soon! Ish.


End file.
